The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-11-16
The WORLD MOyES.

There is no mistake about 1t, the world
moves, turns on its axis and goes circling
round the sun. Such is the law, such is
fate, and the world of mankind moves as
certainly, not always in a straight line, nor
yet in shining circle. It's course is not
infrequently zigzag, sometimes upward,
often on descending grade, but, on the
whole, upward. The present generation
stands on a higher plane than any former
generation-knows more. A man who has
lived fifty years in the Nineteenth century
knows more than all the antedeluvians
knew, from Adam to Noah. Knows more
than all the postdeluvians from Noah to
Christopher Columbus, knows more than
any generation from the landing of the
Pilgrims to the birth of Jay Gould. AS
matter of course, we refer to a man fifty
years of age, who has been able
to keep up with the pro-
cession, TO keep abreast OF the times.
1t will require time to achieve complete
emancipation from goblinism, fetichism,
and many other superstitions; but the
world is moving away from such things,
and no mistake. The faggot, the thnmb-
screw, rack and wheel have disappeared;
witches are no longer hanged, and in
thousand way Q the mind is becomsng eman-
cipated from ignorance and superstition
fact fruitful of the conviction that the
world moves. Such is the law of progress,
and
"What fate imposes men must needs abide,
IL boots not to resist both wind and tide -
I'M 80 unrfh WI 70
say that iron-clad creeds and dogmas,
which have been placed in the way OF prog
ress, are being moved out of the way. The
churches that have been threatening dire
full things to those who attended the stsrs
find that their dynamite is growing con-
stantly less effective. and there is a move
ment all along the line to put a stop to the
anathema business. Sensible peop'e recog-
nize the stage as an educator, as well as the
pulpit and the school. The drama COM
bines instruction and amusement, and is
growing in popular favor. The church is
finding it convenient to modify the explo-
siye power of its censure; its Examinations
have less thunder in them, and the pulpit
is having something to say in favor Of
the tdrarna-notabIy, Rev. DR.. Holland,
of the st. George Episcopal Church, of
st. Louis, one of the most learned and elo-
quent ministers of that church in the
country. DR.. Holland recently preached
a sermon, taking for his text-''Johu came
neither eating nor drinking, and they say
he hath devil" The eloquent priest
said that the prevailing idea in many com
munities was to Judge things by preju.
dice, and that such prejudices were often
local, trivial or educational, and added:
'Thue, as delineated in the text, some
said John the Baptist had 3 devil because
he came neither eating nor drinking
while others said that Christ, because he
came eating and drinking, was glutton
and wine-bibber. Character could not be
Judged in such way. II must be judged
by principles Of right and wrong. Wis
6o1l Lac wider range and the ultimate
vss the result. A tree must be judged by
itsfruit, which meant the result. The world
was drama in which nations and individ.
uals played their part, and the whole
worked out the conclusions OF life to be
coDsumated in the world to come. He
once knew q Presbyterian who had never
read q novel, so circumspect was he, and q
tbeater appeared to be an abomination.
4 Nos AAA"H Weo Ocof6C OeCACt ZIG WOAA-
known writer. Mr.. Cable, who lived at
New Orleans, had occasion to go North,
finally attended a theater, and was very
much surprised. The conclusion Mr..
Gable reached was that he would Judge
theaters ss be would Judge other things,
upon principles of right and wrong, as
produced. There were people OF all
, kinds, honest and dishonest high and low,
and they would be found In the theater as
elsewhere. The pure drama he considered
the perfection Of all arts. All the pas
! sioDs and poetry of life was illustrated by
seeing them at work. Everybody was
bound to admit that the drama played @
grand role In the education of the race,
and with il the stage reflected the charac-
ter of the populsce. The drama kept the
people at their level, and showed them
what they were besides. it gave the best
of recreation. The purer as well as the
0sser things of life were presented, with.
, out which the world would have been ig.
norsnt. There the hero triumphed over
as oppieesor. and the villain got bis de
: serts. There was also delineatsd the fslle
, cies md follies Of all. IL yoa wanted "a
know what crime wss see Macbeth. The
story of Hamlet carried with IL its own
moral. There were q great many voices
exhibited u ths drama jhat red9und:d !: